The next time
by macrollins
Summary: When Pride is left aside, happiness is complete.
1. Chapter 1

Hello friends. This is just a little story about what could have happened after the events in 9x11. Remembering that I do not own the characters, it's just a fan-to-fan story.

Steve came home after that tumultuous day where he had to protect a criminal during a hurricane. Junior, who came along with him, apologized to Steve and went to his room.

Steve stayed in the living room for a while, fed Eddie, and enjoyed a little of his company.

"Hey Eddie, faithful friend!" Steve said, stroking the dog's head.

Steve thought about how Danny's night was going with Rachel, since she was staying at Danny's house with Charlie because of the hurricane.

Steve smiled.

"I really hope this works. I like to see Danny happy and I know he still loves Rachel. My friend deserves to be very happy. " Steve thought.

"Valentine's day ..." Steve murmured to himself. He remembered the past Valentine's days and can't help thinking about her.

She had spent so many days with him after Joe's death, but he didn't have the psychological conditions to feel the pleasure of being with her.

Steve got up and went to his room. He took a shower and left the bathroom with a towel around his waist.

"Like the day I left the bathroom and she was here in my room, dressed in black, she was wearing makeup, and was very sensual." He thought, running a hand through his hair.

Steve looked at the phone and thought to call her.

"No, don't do that," the voice of reason told him.

"Call her, she's the one, " the voice of heart told him.

Steve paced the room, thinking, and then picked up the phone. He would call her, but the phone vibrated in his hand. His heart throbbed a thousand times stronger, as if he were a teenager.

"Cath?" Steve said when he accepted the call.

"Steve, thank God! I was so worried about you! I saw the news about the hurricane on TV.

"I'm fine, Cath, don't worry about me."

"I'll always worry about you! Always! If I don't worry about you, my life will not make sense anymore, Steve, I have no one else but you." Catherine said, trilled.

"Miss you." He said.

"I'm sitting in front of a beautiful beach. People come and go on the sidewalk. Young boyfriends, couples with their young children, elderly couples holding hands, and I realized that I don't have any of that, Steve."

"We don't have any of this, Catherine. I've felt this emptiness since you've been gone." Steve said.

Catherine Left the tears fall, discreetly, so that he wouldn't hear.

"I don't know why you are gone, I have missed you so much and I'm sad because the loneliness knocks at my door every day. Steve said.

Catherine didn't answer, just heard.

I even thought of moving, to some place where I'd can forget you. But this is impossible.

Catherine only expected him to say he wanted her back.

"You said until next time, when will it be the next time?" He asked.

"I don't know, I'll be here for the next three days and then I don't know where I'm going." Catherine told him.

"I really want to see you." He said.

"Me too, but I'm far away." She answered.

"I know." Steve said, seeing her location on the Laptop screen.

When he said he knew she was away, Catherine didn't imagine he was tracking her phone.

"Well, I need to go now. Happy Valentine's Day, Steve."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Cath."

The next day, Steve woke up early and went to Danny's house. He arrived and Rachel was going out with Charlie.

While making pancakes, Danny told Steve how it had been to be with Rachel during the hurricane and how the two slept hugging each other on the couch.

Steve smiled.

"I'm happy, Danny. I mean, if you like Rachel, go ahead."

Danny noticed that he was smiling, but he looked sad.

"You didn't come here just to find out how my night was with Rachel. What happened?" Danny asked.

"Catherine called me yesterday, and I traced her phone." Steve said to Danny.

Danny also noticed that Steve seemed to wait for his approval.

"I say the same thing you said to me. If you like her and want her back, go ahead! I'll settle things with the Governor if he asks for you." Danny said.

"Thank you Danny!" Steve said, getting up and leaving quickly.

"Wait, Steve! And the pancakes?" Danny screamed but Steve didn't hear because he was already far away.

The next day Catherine was sitting on a bench on the beach boadwalk. It was night and several people were walking along the waterfront.

Catherine saw a suitcase being placed next to her and looked up.

"Hey, we're not that young anymore, but we're not old either, and we don't even have a kid, but I'm here to walk hand in hand with you." Steve said, reaching for her.


	2. Chapter 2

Catherine looked up, surprised to see him there, so far from home.

Moments before she was thinking of all she had done to help him avenge Joe's death and in the end he just said goodbye with a hug. She even thought he really did not want her anymore, and now he was there.

"Steve, what are you doing here?" Catherine asked as she held his hand and stood up.

"I came to walk with you."

"You don't want to leave the suitcase first? I have a rented apartment." Catherine told him.

"If we go to the apartment now, we'll not go back." And your complaint was that you had no one to walk along the beach hand in hand with you."

"Steve, you're crazy. You came to Brazil just to us walk together?"

"This is where you are, is not it? I've been to India once just to see you, so what's the surprise? Steve said, unconcerned.

They walked, feeling the sea breeze on their faces and waves of happiness in their hearts.

They walked hand in hand and Catherine couldn't stop smiling.

A couple walked in front of them, with a little girl in their lap. The little girl smiled at them and waved goodbye.

Catherine waved back and smiled at the girl.

"I think she liked you." Steve told Catherine.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Catherine told him.

"Yes. One day we'll have a little girl like that." He said with a smile.

Catherine felt her heart skip as he said it.

After walking a great distance, Steve stopped and hugged her.

"Do you really want to know why I'm here?" He spoke, looking into her eyes.

"I couldn't wait "the next time." Cath, I needed to do "the next time" happen. I want you back, even if it's like in Navy times, at first. Do you want me back?" Steve asked, eager for the answer.

Tears welled in Catherine's eyes.

"I've longed to hear it from you. Of course I want you back. I've always loved you and it's never going to change." Catherine said, hugging him tightly.

"I was very unhappier after we finished." Steve said, stroking her face.

"Me too. My life is linked to yours. I can't be happy without my half. And my half is you." Catherine said to him.

Steve looked at her lips and came over, kissing her passionately and slowly, enjoying every second.

"I don't know how we're going to make it work, but we're going to do it one way or another, and I was serious when I said I want have a little girl with you."

"Let's make it work." Catherine said, nodding.

"I love you." Steve said, kissing her again.

"I love you, too, very, very much."

"Can we go to your apartment now?" Steve asked.

"Yes let's go." Catherine said, her fingers interlaced with his.

They went to the apartment, Steve put his suitcase on the couch and Catherine went to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

Catherine poured wine into the goblets and offered one to him.

"Stay with me tonight, let's forget that we abandon ourselves, not wanting to abandon us." She said, seductress.

Steve raised his glass.

"To us." He said.

Catherine toasted him.

"To us."

They had their wine together, and Steve had the kisses, the love and her caresses, and after all, he fell asleep and dreamed in her arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve woke up and Catherine was looking at him.

He looked at her and smiled.

"What?" He asked.

"I was just thinking.I missed you so much and in many moments I lost hope of having your love back." Catherine replied, touching his face.

I'm not going to lie, Catherine. I tried to forget you. I really tried, but I couldn't. You have the key to my heart, you always open the door and come in, and I can't help it. You know all my weaknesses, don't you? And you know my biggest weakness is you.

"Serious? Am I your weak spot? Then I'll take advantage of that." Catherine said, pulling him toward her.

"I just feel complete when you're near me. To have you, to see you, to hear you, to feel you, to hold you, to kiss you, to love you is the best thing in the world." Steve said, stroking her back.

Catherine kissed him passionately.

"I wonder what the last day I woke up without thinking about you. I don't remember." Steve told her.

I remember the last day I woke up without thinking of you: it was the day I met you. Catherine told him.

Steve smiled and kissed her intensely.

"And you know when I discovered it was love? When the word "much" was little to define how much I liked you." Catherine said, looking into his eyes.

Oh, Cath! Come here! Steve said pulling her so close that the two became one body.

Two hours later, Steve opened the window and the sun shone in the waters of the sea.

"Let's enjoy the beach?" He asked.

"Come on, the day is wonderful." Catherine replied.

They went to the beach and while Catherine went into the water, Steve collected some shells.

Catherine swam a little and went back to the sand and sat down next to him.

"Look, Catherine, look what I have here." Steve said, showing her an oyster.

"It's an oyster." Catherine said.

"Yes, the sea is part of our history. When the sea was rough, I always remembered that you were my safe harbor." Steve said that and put the shell in her hand.

The two halves of the shell parted and Catherine saw the ring.

Oh, Steve! Catherine said thrilled.

"When I think of our history and everything that has brought us here, I can only be sure that we were destined to be. That is why, Cath, today I want to ask you: do you want to marry me?"

"Yes, yes, yes. My life, my love, it was always you. What I want most in this life is to be by your side." Catherine said looking into his eyes.

Steve smiled and put the ring on her finger.

"I love you!" Steve said, kissing her, having the sun and the sea as witnesses to this love...

End.

Thank you for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed.


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